Container and lid assembly

ABSTRACT

A container having a pair of side walls and end walls and corner walls being provided between a respective end wall and side wall, a flange formed on one of the corner walls, said flange functioning as a hinge, a ring member formed integrally with the flange, the ring being sized to sit on top of the container.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The technical field relates generally to container and lid assemblies, for instance container and lid assemblies that can be used in the commercial food processing industry.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various kinds of containers have been suggested over the years. Many containers designed for holding food include a main bottom section forming a tray, a dish, a bowl, a receptacle or the like, and each container is hermetically sealed around or near its top edges by a wrapping and/or a lid to protect the contents during the transportation, storage and handling. Some containers are sold to customers without any contents therein but others are sold together with food items, for instance as prepackaged meals or the like.

Designing food containers for the commercial food processing industry can be challenging. For instance, since most of these containers are only designed to hold food items until eaten by the customers, it is desirable that the quantity of materials required for making them and the manufacturing costs be minimized. Unfortunately, this is not always easy to achieve since the containers and their lids must also meet other requirements, such as resisting shipping, storage and handling, including handling at the stores or the restaurants where they are sold. The containers must remain intact and constantly sealed, between the packaging process and the moment customers open them, to avoid contamination and spoilage. On the other hand, adding too many packaging layers or features, such as a protective box made of cardboard or the like, or additional layers of wrapping, to mention just a few, increases the volume of waste material to be recycled and/or discarded after their use. This situation is not desirable and it will likely dissatisfy many actual or potential customers.

Further difficulties and challenges in the design of food containers are created when these food containers must also be used for heating/cooking food items directly therein, for instance in a microwave oven. In a microwave oven, the heat generated inside the food items is transferred to the container itself and the temperature of the container can eventually become very high. Containers must still remain sufficiently rigid even when heated at high temperatures.

Even more challenging is the design of food containers used for heating/cooking food items directly therein and that can be reclosed after the initial opening by the customer. These food containers are used with lids that can be reclosed during heating/cooking and/or afterwards for transportation and storage. For example, some prepackaged meals require separate ingredients to be mixed and/or added before heating/cooling them, such as a meal where water must be added before heating/cooking. Some meals can also be packaged with ingredients that must be mixed together by the customer inside the container but where not all ingredients are mixed at the same time. An example is a stir-fry meal where a sauce or the like is added only after some cooking/heating time. Still, physical interventions by the customer during the heating/cooking process, for instance to stir the content, may be another reason to have a reclosable lid. Other situations exist as well.

Containers must perform well in the hands of customers but they must also be easy to handle at the packaging end, for instance, by the packaging equipment. Some designs can be adequate for transportation, storage and handling but far less for the packaging process. Difficulties in handling containers and sealing their lids can increase costs and complexity of the packaging equipment and/or decrease the production rate.

Still, some container designs can create difficulties for the customers when they attempt to remove the sealed lid. Containers with rectilinear sides and relatively sharp corners are often difficult to handle when the lids are very light and flexible.

Unfortunately, none of the previously-suggested containers has proven entirely satisfactory to address many of the challenges encountered in the design of containers, particularly in the design of containers intended for the commercial food processing industry.

It is therefore clear that improvements in the related technical field are still and will always be needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container, the container having a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls, corner walls extending between end walls and side walls, a flange formed on one of the corner walls, a ring member formed integrally with the flange, the ring being sized to sit on top of the container.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container having at least one flange portion extending outwardly from a wall of the container, the flange having a proximal section adjacent the wall, the proximal section having a recess formed therein, a distal section remote from the wall, the distal section having an upwardly extending projection; and the upwardly extending projection being sized to fit within the recess.

The container and lid of the present invention may be utilized in many different applications. In particular, in several of the embodiments, the containers are particularly suitable for the food industry and in particular, for packaging ready to use foods.

The present embodiments of the present invention utilize containers which normally have a generally overall rectangular configuration. It will be understood, of course, that many different configurations can be utilized including those having various arcuate configurations.

The containers are formed of conventional plastic materials and the containers are normally formed using a thermoforming process. However, other known processes may be utilized.

The ring member of the present invention, in one embodiment, is formed as a portion of the container during a thermal forming process. The ring member is hingedly connected to the container and suitable retaining means may be utilized for securing the lid member to the top of the container.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the ring member is formed as part of the container and is then separated from the container to become a separate ring member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus generally described the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating embodiments thereof.

FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of an example of a container and lid assembly based on the proposed concept;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the container and lid assembly in FIG. 1, where the assembly is illustrated in a closed position;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the container and lid assembly shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but where the assembly is illustrated in an opened position as the lid is unconnected to the container;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged isometric view of the area inside line 5-5 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a transversal cross section view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the area inside line 7-7 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a semi-schematic view of an example of a mold in which the container and the lid frame are molded together;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a variation of a lid frame;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a bowl and flange when thermoformed;

FIG. 11 is top plan view of the bowl and ring after the exterior edges are folded;

FIG. 12 is a partial sectional view illustrating a flange arrangement for a recess and a protrusion;

FIG. 13 illustrates folding of an outer part of a flange to mate with an inner portion of the flange,

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of a further embodiment of the container according to the present invention; and

FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate folding of the member of FIG. 14 to mate with the top of the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of an example of a container and lid assembly 100 based on the proposed concept. The assembly 100 is used for packaging a product, for instance one or more food items. Although the proposed concept is especially well adapted for holding meals and other food items, it is possible to design and/or use the assembly 100 for holding one or more products that are unrelated to the food industry. The following detailed description refers to the context of the commercial food processing industry only for the sake of simplicity.

As suggested by its name, the assembly 100 includes a container 102 and a corresponding lid 104. The container 102 includes a main body 110 having one or more walls defining a hollow interior compartment 112 for storing the food items to be packed therein. The container 102 has an opening 114 at the top that is defined by the inner edge of an outwardly-projecting container rim 120. The container rim 120 is made integral with the main body 110. The top of the container rim 120 is at the horizontal in normal use. The opening 114 is substantially rectangular in shape, with rounded corners and slightly curved sides between the corners. Variants are possible as well. For instance, the container 102 could have an opening with substantially straight sides and sharper corners, an opening with a nonrectangular shape, such as a rounded shape, a triangular shape or a shape with more than four sides, etc. Many other variants are possible as well.

In the illustrated example, the main body 110 includes a bottom wall and four upwardly-disposed side walls configured to form a bowl or the like. The wall or walls forming the main body 110 are airtight and liquid tight.

It should be noted that the shape of the main body 110 of the illustrated container 102 is only one example of implementation. Variants are possible.

The container 102 can be made using a thermoforming process or an injection molding process, for instance using a plastic material. Other materials and/or manufacturing processes can be used as well. The wall or walls forming the main body 110 of the container 102 can be relatively thin and the container rim 120 will stiffen the container 102, even if the container rim 120 is also relatively thin to minimize the quantity of material.

The lid 104 includes a ring-shaped lid frame 130 and a membrane 132 that will be attached over the lid frame 130 at some point of the packaging and/or manufacturing process. The lid frame 130 includes a relatively flat strip portion 134 having a continuous flat top surface and a continuous flat bottom surface. The periphery of the membrane 132 will adhere to the top surface of the lid frame 130 to form an airtight and liquid tight seal. The lid 104 is thus made with a minimized quantity of material and will be very light.

The lid frame 130 can be made using an injection molding process, for instance using a plastic material. Other materials and/or manufacturing processes can be used as well. However, the lid frame 130 is not molded directly to or over the container rim 120. The lid frame 130 is only put in position onto the container rim 120 after the molding process.

The membrane 132 is in the form of a thin film, for instance a plastic film or a foil. Other materials can be used as well, depending on the actual implementation. The membrane 132 can be transparent, translucent or opaque, depending on the needs.

The lid frame 130 of the illustrated example also includes two diametrically opposite corner latching tabs 136, 138 that are each made integral with the outer side edge of the lid frame 130. Each latching tab 136, 138 has a proximal section that extends outwards from the side edge of the flat strip portion 134 and a distal section that extends downwards. The latching tabs 136, 138 are designed to prevent them from interfering with the continuity of the contact of the bottom surface of the flat strip portion 134 with the outer peripheral top surface 122 when it rests thereon. The lid frame 130 of the illustrated example also includes a lift tab 140 that is made integral with the free end of the distal section of the first corner latching tab 136. Only one lift tab is provided in the illustrated example. The lift tab 140 extends horizontally outwards from the distal portion of the first corner latching tab 136. Variants arc possible as well.

As can be seen, the lid 104 is devoid of a peripheral skirt or the like. The size of the latching tabs 136, 138 is also kept to a minimum. Overall, this will greatly facilitate the opening and closing of the lid 104. A lesser force is required to handle it and as a result, it is less likely to undergo a plastic deformation because the customer exerted an excessive pulling force. The lid frame 130 is relatively small and can be prone to deformation when subjected to an excessive pulling force.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the container and lid assembly 100 in FIG. 1, where the assembly 100 is illustrated in a closed position. The lid 104 is then attached to the container 102, more specifically to the container rim 120. In FIG. 2, the membrane 132 is sealingly attached to the lid frame 130.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the container and lid assembly 100 shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but where the assembly 100 is illustrated in an opened position. The lid 104 is then unconnected to the container 102.

As can be seen, for instance in FIGS. 3 and 4, the top side of the container rim 120 includes an outer peripheral top surface 122 and an inner peripheral top surface 124. Each of these surfaces 122, 124 are flat and continuous. They are also substantially horizontal in normal use. However, the outer peripheral top surface 122 is slightly vertically below the inner peripheral top surface 124 so as to receive the bottom surface of the lid frame 130 when the lid 104 is in a closed position. These mating surfaces are configured and disposed to form an uninterrupted seal around the entire perimeter of the container rim 120.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged isometric view of the area inside line 5-5 in FIG. 4. As can be seen, the outer peripheral top surface 122 includes a through hole 150 at the corner where the first latching tab 136 is located when the lid 104 is in a closed position. A similar hole 150 is also provided at the opposite corner, thus at the corner where the second latching tab 138 is located. In the illustrated example, these holes 150 have an oblong shape that is generally oriented parallel to the medial axis of the outer peripheral top surface 122. Variants are possible as well. For instance, the holes 150 can be provided with other shapes, including for instance a “lens” shape to help in aligning the studs 152 at the center of the holes 150.

FIG. 5 also shows that the container rim 120 of the illustrated assembly 100 includes a downwardly projecting skirt 126 extending around the entire periphery of the container 102. The skirt 126 promotes rigidity. Variants are possible as well.

FIG. 6 is a transversal cross section view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 2. It thus shows the lid 104 in a closed position. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the area inside line 7-7 in FIG. 6. As can be seen, these figures show one of the studs 152 provided to engage the inner edge of a corresponding hole 150, as best shown in FIG. 7. A similar stud 152 is provided at the opposite corner to engage the other hole 150. These studs 152 have a substantially circular cross section in the illustrated example. The engagement of the studs 152 with their corresponding holes 150 can be an interfering engagement, including for instance using a notch (not shown) or the like to create a snap fit interlocking connection. This removable interfering engagement will create a retention force resisting the lifting of the lid 104 and interlocking the lid 104 with the container 102. However, the interfering engagement can be removed upon lifting the lid frame 130 using a mild force. Using the studs 152 and the corresponding holes 150 also greatly facilitates the closing of the lid 104 since the lid frame 130 is made of a relatively flexible part. It can become very flexible at high temperatures and the studs 152 can facilitate the positioning. The customer can used their thumbs to urge the studs 152 into the holes 150 when closing the lid 104. Variants are possible as well.

The latching tabs 136, 138 also help in centering the lid 104 on the container 102 and they can be shaped to engage, with a mild interfering force, the bottom edge of the skirt 126. Each latching tab 136, 138 can be provided with an undercut (not shown) or a similar feature to create an interlocking connection with the bottom edge of the skirt 126. They can even replace the studs 152 and their holes 150 in some implementations. Variants are possible as well.

The holes 150 have an oblong shape in the illustrated example. This feature is to facilitate the positioning by the customer. Variants are possible as well.

FIG. 7 also shows that the top surface of the lid frame 130 and the inner peripheral top surface 124 of the container rim 120 are substantially flush with one another when the lid 104 is in a closed position. The bottom surface of the membrane 132 is then directly above the inner peripheral top surface 124.

Still, FIG. 7 shows that the inner side edge of the flat strip portion 134 is spaced apart from the outer edge bordering the inner peripheral top surface 124. This space can provide more room for aligning the parts when they are hot. The space also provides an increase of the manufacturing tolerances, thus mitigating the risks of having parts being rejected because they are too wide after the molding process.

During the packaging process, the item or items can be put inside the hollow interior compartment of each container 102 with the lid frame 130 being already in an interlocking engagement with the container rim 120. This previous step can be achieved by hand or by appropriate equipment. The containers 102, with their lids 104 thereon, can still be stacked so as to minimize space. Variants as possible as well.

An interesting benefit of the proposed concept is that since no peripheral skirt is provided on the lid 104, the handling of the container 102 with the pre-connected lid frame 130 during the packaging process is made easier since a stack of these parts can be supported anywhere underneath the container rim 120, with the exception of the two corners with the latching tabs 136, 138 are provided, without the risks of accidentally lifting a portion of the lid frame 130 from the container rim 120.

The membrane 132 is added at the end of the packaging process to simultaneously form the lid 104 and to seal the whole assembly 100. For instance, if the membrane 132 is made of a thermoplastic material, the membrane 132 can be heated and pressure can be applied so as to simultaneously bond the outer perimeter of the membrane 132 to the outer and inner peripheral top surfaces 122, 124. This can be done in a single operation during which the underside of the container rim 120 is supported by a die while the membrane 132 is urged onto the lid frame 130 and onto the exposed inner peripheral top surface 124 by a heated pressure plate. The combination of heat and pressure bonds the membrane 132 over the top surface of the lid frame 130 and over the inner peripheral top surface 124.

If desired, the inner peripheral top surface 124 can be positioned slightly lower than the top surface of the flat strip portion 134 when the lid 104 is in a closed position. This will make the bond between the inner peripheral top surface 124 and the membrane 132 slightly weaker than the bond between the top surface of the flat strip portion 134 and the membrane 132. Still, as shown in FIG. 7, the width of the outer section of the membrane 132 that is fused onto the top surface of the flat strip portion 134 is larger than the width of the adjacent inner section of the membrane 132 that is fused onto the inner peripheral top surface 124. These features will make the membrane 132 less prone to detach from the lid frame 130 during the initial unsealing of the assembly 100 by the customer and will also decrease the required pulling force. This decrease of the pulling force can mitigate the risks of accidentally tearing the membrane 132 when the assembly 100 is unsealed. Variants are possible as well.

In use, to open the sealed assembly 100, the customer will move the lift tab 140 upwards to create a peeling force that will progressively detach the membrane 132 from the inner peripheral top surface 124 of the container rim 120, starting at the corner adjacent to the lifting tab 140. The membrane 132 will stay attached on the lid frame 130 since the peeling motion will only remove the membrane 132 from the inner peripheral top surface 124. Thus, it is relatively easy for the customer to lift a corner of the lid 104 using the lift tab 104 and then lift the whole lid 104 to access the interior of the container 102. This way, the customer can add liquids or other ingredients, for instance additional ingredients from a pouch or the like. The lid 104 can be reclosed before continuing the heating/cooking process.

FIG. 8 is a semi-schematic view of a mold 200 in which the container 102 and the lid frame 130 are molded together in a same injection shot of molten plastic material but in separate cavities. The mold 200 includes a first cavity 202 for the container 102 and a second cavity 204 for the lid frame 130. Both cavities 202, 204 are in fluid communication using an intervening channel 206. The channel 206 will also be filled with the molten plastic material after the injection shot and as the plastic material solidifies, it will form a connector linking the outer edge of the container rim 120 to the outer edge of the lid frame 130. This connector 206 can be removed or cut to completely separate the container 102 and the lid frame 130. However, one can also keep the connector 206 to facilitate handling during the packaging and/or by the customer, provided that the connector 206 remains relatively flexible at room temperature and is located at the corner opposite the corner with the lift tab 140. The connector 206 can be useful for keeping the orientation of the lid frame 130 with reference to the container 102 and for preventing a customer from attempting to close the lid 104 while the studs 152 are at the corners where no holes are present.

FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment in which an injection molded snap ring 208 is placed on top of a flange 210 to a thermoformed bowl. The flange 210 is welded to the thermoformed bowl. The ring can also be welded directly to the container so that when one opens the lid, the film will stick to the ring, but the ring will be detached from the container. The ring will also snap in the flange. Preferably, the flange and ring are injected molded.

Alternative embodiments are illustrated in FIGS. 10 to 14.

Referring to the embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11, there is illustrated a bowl or container 312, includes a base 314. Extending upwardly from base 314 are pair of side walls 316 and a pair of end walls 318. At the point of joinder of and end wall 318 with a side wall 316, there is provided bend lines 320 which form corner walls 322. Each corner wall is located near a respective side wall 316 and end wall 318.

Extending outwardly from side walls 316, end walls 318 and corner walls 322 there is a flange which has an inner or proximal flange portion 324 and an outer or distal flange portion 326. Between distal portion 326 and proximal portion 324, there is a crease or fold line 328 to permit distal portion 326 to fold over on top of proximal portion 324. Inner or proximal portion 324 is provided with recesses 330 while distal or outer portions 326 are provided with a protrusion 332. Protrusions 332 are designed to mate with recesses 330 and lock the two pieces together.

As has previously been described, container 312 is provided with a upwardly extending top surface 323. Top surface 323 extends above proximal flange portion 324 and distal flange portion 326. This arrangement permits the membrane layer (not illustrated) secured to the flange portions to seal against upper surface 323.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 12 and 13, there is illustrated a portion of a bowl or a container which has a base 364 and a side wall 366 extending therefrom. The illustration includes a inner or proximal flange portion 368 and an outer or distal flange portion 370. Proximal flange portion 368 includes recesses 372 while distal flange portion 370 includes a protrusion 374 designed to mate with recess 372. This is done by folding of the distal flange 372 over top of proximal flange portion 368.

A further embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 14 to 16. In this embodiment, there is provided a bowl or container 338 which has a base or bottom 340. Extending upwardly from base 340 are a pair of side walls 332 and a pair of end walls 344. Creases 346 are provided to form corner walls 348. The top of the container includes an upper wall 350.

At one of the corner walls 348 there is provided a hinge 352 which is connected to ring member 356. Ring member 356 has protrusions which are designed to seat in recesses 354 of a flange 360. As has been previously described in the embodiments, there is also an upper wall 350 which is of a height to seat the above flange 360. A flexible membrane (not shown) is also utilized.

It will be understood that the above described embodiments are for purposes of illustration only and that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. A container, said container having a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls, corner walls extending between end walls and side walls; a flange formed on one of the corner walls; a ring member formed integrally with said flange, said ring being sized to sit on top of said container.
 2. The container of claim 1 wherein said container has a top wall, said top wall having a plurality of recesses formed therein, said ring member having a plurality of protrusions formed on a bottom surface thereof, said protrusions fitting within said recesses thereby retaining said ring member in position.
 3. The container of claim 2 wherein said ring member includes a plastic membrane sealed thereto.
 4. A container having: at least one flange portion extending outwardly from a wall of said container; said flange having a proximal section adjacent said wall; said proximal section having a recess formed therein; a distal section remote from said wall; said distal section having an upwardly extending projection; and said upwardly extending projection being sized to fit within said recess.
 5. The container of claim 1 wherein said container has a plurality of walls, each wall having a flange extending outwardly therefrom, each of said flanges having a proximal section adjacent a respective wall, said proximal section having a recess formed therein, a distal section remote from a reflective wall, said distal section having an upwardly extending projection, said upwardly extending projections on said distal sections being sized to fit within a respective recess on an adjacent proximal section. 